1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an unpowered boat hull which is releasably engageable with a powered jet-ski-type watercraft. More specifically, the invention is an unpowered fishing boat hull including a pivotable transom which is releasably fixable to a jet-
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of United States and foreign patent references describe watercraft in which a powered jet-ski-type unit is mated to an unpowered hull section or sections. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,770, issued Sep. 22, 1987, to W. M. Kitner et al., describes a pair of stabilizing flotation structures which surround the perimeter of a jet-ski-type craft. The hulls described in this reference are designed for stabilization of the craft only, and do not provide any storage space, or extra deck space to store articles such as fishing gear.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,564, issued Feb. 9, 1993, to W. H. Robbins et al., describes a U-shaped pontoon which fits about the bow and side walls of a jet-ski-type watercraft. The watercraft is slidingly engaged with the U-shaped pontoon, and held in engagement therewith via a bow nut and bolt assembly, and a slidably lockable transom section. Here, the transom section must be completely removed from the pontoon section in order to slide the watercraft into engagement with the U-shaped pontoon. Once the watercraft is fitted with the pontoon, the transom section is then placed between the open ends of the U-shaped pontoon, and held in place by screws or Velcro. This arrangement is very cumbersome: It would be difficult to maneuver the transom section into place in rough water. Additionally, the means which fasten the transom in place could easily be lost in the water during assembly. This would render the transom section inoperable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,625, issued Oct. 26, 1993, to T. Hattori, describes a watercraft in which a jet-ski-type powered unit is berthed inside a mating main hull section. Of particular note in this reference is that the main hull berth into which the powered unit fits includes a lower wall which is complementary in shape to the hull of the powered unit. This configuration results in two distinct disadvantages: First, different main hull sections must be manufactured to securely engage the hulls of the wide variety of jet-ski-type watercraft now commercially available. Second, openings must be provided within the lower wall of the berth to allow water to access the jet propulsion motor of the powered unit. This also requires that the berth of the main hull be carefully matched to the specific type of power unit used. If the water intake port of the powered unit and the openings in the lower wall of the berth do not register properly, either insufficient water flow will reach the intake port, or cavitation will occur at the inlet port. Both conditions will significantly lower the effective thrust of the powered unit, and could damage the motor of the powered unit. Furthermore, the Hattori berth is at least partially closed at the hull line, which may cause undue cavitation of the berthed jet-ski-type watercraft when the combination is underway. In direct contradistinction thereto, the present invention provides a completely open and unrestricted berthing opening for the berthed jet-ski-type watercraft, so that not only is undesirable cavitation eliminated, but also different sizes and even configurations of jet-ski-type watercraft may be berthed.
The foreign patent literature includes Great Britain Patent No. 2 046 689 A, issued Nov. 19, 1980. This reference describes a watercraft in which a housing holding engine can be fit into a well within the craft. The craft is fully buoyant with or without the engine housing being fit into the well. The well of the craft also holds a propeller assembly which operationally connects to the engine when the engine housing is placed into the well. This arrangement allows the craft and the engine housing to be manufactured and assembled separate from one another. Additionally, the craft may be piloted using a rudder, or the housing containing the engine may be circular to effect steering of the craft.
Japan Pat. No. 63-301195, issued Dec. 8, 1988, describes a watercraft similar in concept to the craft described in the British Patent, above. The Japanese reference describes a watercraft in which an in-board/out-board-type engine can be removed from a hull unit. As in the British patent, the engine unit itself, however, is not a self-propelled watercraft, i.e., the engine is only an engine per se, not a jet-ski-type watercraft. The drawings in this reference indicate that once the engine has been removed from the hull of the craft, the hull is sufficiently light in weight to be transported on top of a passenger motor vehicle. The engine unit is then stored in the trunk space of the motor vehicle.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an unpowered watercraft which is mountable to a jet-ski-type powered craft, which can be attached to the powered craft simply and with few or no detachable parts which may become lost, and which provides ample storage space.